Autodesk's conference for those who design, build, make and create has drawn to a close, bringing the curtain down on a packed three day programme at The Venetian in Las Vegas, USA.

This year's programme from 15-17 November was as wide-ranging as ever - where else can you see bricklaying robots, generate a topographical map from a sandbox (pictured) and find out what's next for BIM? Here we provide some of the key takeaways from this year's event. There's also some handy links to all of this year's keynotes so if you didn't make it, you don't have to miss out.

What is Autodesk University anyway?

An annual conference for those interested in design, building and technology from software company Autodesk. The video trailer should give you an idea of what the event's all about.

Autodesk University can trace its roots back to 1993 and a software user conference in San Francisco. It was a chance for designers, architects, and engineers to come together and learn from the best in their industries, share practical tips for getting the most from the software, compare notes, and network with their peers.

The event grew steadily and the remit and appeal broadened from construction to to industries like media and entertainment. Organisers started to include not just software users, but industry leaders, too. And, as that happened, AU evolved from an opportunity to share Autodesk software tips and tricks to showcasing thought leadership, case studies, and much more. In recent years a range of similar international conferences have sprung up and a range of online classes are available on the Autodesk University website.

AU evolved from an opportunity to share Autodesk software tips and tricks to showcasing thought leadership, case studies, and much more.

What were the key themes at Autodesk University 2016?

With such a varied programme it's hard to single out just a handful of key themes, it's well worth searching on hashtag #AU2016 to get a flavour, but here are some of the ideas that stood out for us...

1. The future of BIM will not be BIM...

Bill Allen, co-founder and partner of EvolveLAB BIM Consulting looked to the future of intelligent construction in his Autodesk University keynote.

With advancements in generative design, software algorithms, and robotic construction, we are set to move from Building Information Modelling to Building Information Optimisation.

Rather than manually drawing walls, doors, and columns for what we think is a good design, we will feed the computer "rules" instructing it to give us a building’s optimal footprint, structural load capacity, and thermal performance.

So what does this future look like and how do we prepare for it? Bill’s session served as a survival guide.

3. The drones are coming and their data is actionable!

By making a virtual model more closely mimic the physical job site drones can deliver engaging marketing content, estimations of quantities, pinpoint design problems early and help place items in the field with far greater accuracy.

Instant ROI through aerial progress images, time lapse, and site familiarisation, and deeper insight from measurements, monitoring and topographical drawings, this session focussed on how to capitalise on the new wave of flying technology.

4. Get over your BIM hangover!

James Vandezande, Director of Design Technology at HOK explored the concept of a ‘BIM hangover’ in his session exploring habits of highly effective BIM managers.

In an engaging session (with scant mention of BIM models - #fluffykittens) James showed how to power through the hangover pain points – how to counter management demands to do BIM ‘bigger, faster and cheaper’, how to recognise the practical purpose of all you do, and how to ensure managers don’t promise beyond what is possible.

Developing the ‘soft skills’ required for new roles in leadership and support is often overlooked and James’ session looked in detail at developing effective plans for practical BIM implementation.

5. Embrace the 'out there' ideas

Wrapping up Autodesk University for 2016, Autodesk SVP Andrew Anganost reminded attendees of the need to adapt to survive.

Drawing parallels with the automotive industry where ‘what it means to be a car is changing’ Andrew reinforced the fact that those wrestling with what this means rather than clinging to existing technologies or business models. The lesson? Don’t dismiss those outlandish ideas like self-driving, autonomous cars – embrace and shape the change.

While driven by technology that change is also changing the way we work. In a world of machine learning and cloud computing, collaborative teams assemble quickly to deal with problems and move on, and the software they require is changing to meet these changed ways of working.

There are so many new technologies out there in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Which ones should your structural firm know? Which ones should you adopt into your office workflow? Which ones should you share with your clients?

Autodesk CEO Carl Bass and CTO Jeff Kowalski talk about the trends and technologies they think will have the biggest impact on the work we do, and present exciting Autodesk customers from around the world who are doing some things you just won’t believe.

A walk through of the entire process of installing CAD standards in your company. How can you know when it’s right for you to create standards, how do you identify which standards are needed, and then deploy? This session will help.

Inspired by the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey, this presentation will highlight a collection of tips to improve your role as a Building Information Modeling (BIM) manager in an architecture, engineering, or construction company.

Join Autodesk Explorer-in-Residence, Jonathan Knowles, and special guests from Amazon, Intel, Microsoft, HP, Lenovo, and Dell for a fascinating conversation about how a new era of digital construction is shaping the future of how things are made.

Consistency in design and drafting are very important for maintaining and sharing drawings internally and externally in AutoCAD software. The CAD standards manager can help you check, correct, and maintain standards within your company.

A practical workshop showing how Dynamic Blocks can greatly reduce the number of blocks in your library, improving your efficiency.

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